cmc

What an awesome hunt.... I'd love to take on an adventure like that some day. Congrats on a great animal! cmc

ATV's .....and the AZGFD online application website. Oh wait you said marketed? Never mind.

Dandy of a buck and one heck of a camp location. Nice. cmc

You mean "Primitive Area" right? Unless you're going to drop over into Bear Wallow. Nit-picking... I know. That will be a fun and tough hunt for some great bulls. I'm jealous! cmc

Audsley - I would only add a few things. John Harris - in regards to 'eliminate wildcat shooting' he spoke of being in favor of building more shooting ranges. Not wanting to just shut down the shooting but develop organized shooting ranges not just there but lots of places.. During the land owner tag question Bob made mention of a few concepts to look at. One was possibly giving tags to only the land owner, non transferable, not for resale. Another one in my note were to not give them the tags but the the equivalent face value dollars of those tags but not tags so they can resale. Bob did bring to light an interesting point when talking about urban sprawl taking up public grounds but his topic was about all the green energy initiatives in our state. He mentioned that the BLM has recieved permits looking at 77K acres of solar farms if my notes were right. Couldn't that be done on roof tops around the cities so you don't have to back haul the power to the city? All in all a great recap Audsley. Well done. cmc

You forgot the insightful comments she had on wolves.

Part 1 Shane Mahoney Speaks at Dallas Safari Club 2009 Convention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p6L_v2vFs0 Part 2 Shane Mahoney Speaks at 2009 Dallas Safari Club Drumbets Convention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUtF1x3S6Es...feature=related enjoy... cmc

Lark... We're asking folks in a political office (Gov. and legislator) to approve of a person to sit on a commission. So ya politics are involved and I don't see that changing any time soon. That is unless you get folks in those political positions release their power in appointment and approval to someone else. That would take... well... some political tactics. Nice post BillQ. cmc

You can find more about the hunt and all the photos that are posted here - http://www.azsj.org/forums/showthread.php?t=17843 So opening day finally arrived and after much/little to do my wife and I found ourselves at sun up on the mountain glassing over a huge remote basin that I love to find solace in. I have yet to ever see anyone hunting in there and after Sunday my wife informed me she knows exactly why I’ve never seen anyone in there. Something about her husband seems to be the only insane crazy nitwit that will dive down into that bowl and enjoy packing something out of it. Uh, ok. Whatever. We glassed up bucks each day and good ones too boot. Friday I glassed up two bucks just after sun up. They were both over 80” and oblivious to our presence up on our lookout point. The two bucks were joined by a big bobcat that stalked to within 20yds of them and kept playing with them for the better part of an hour. After the bucks ran off the bobcat they finally made their way down into the shade of some scrub oaks and bedded up. We made our way down to just above them and all of the sudden the wind shifted. The huge 2 point (yes he was a 80”+ 2 point) stepped out at 60yds and I was pinned in the open and my wife behind a bush. She got her gun around but the two bucks bolted out and across the canyon in a heart beat. I got my wife positioned with my tripod setup to rest her .243 on to where the bucks were coming out. I tried to stop them with my best ‘muunnt’, which they would but always in the dark shade of the trees. My wife kept fighting her contacts all weekend, having left her eye drops at home, and it was showing as she struggled locating deer in the scope. Needless to say they made it over the hill without a shot being sent. So the rest of the day was spent glassing for more bucks and avoiding the scorching heat. We retreated to our trailer come dark and rehydrated with some Wilderness Athlete Hydromax and a night cap of Advil and crown royal on the rocks. Morning came way to quick on Saturday and it found my wife and I hiking once again in the dark to another glassing point. It wasn’t long and I glassed up a 90” bedded buck watching a doe feed nearby. My wife wasn’t all that happy with the route I described that we needed to take to try and get a crack at the buck but after some coaxing she was game. The route was a nasty drop off into a canyon and a near vertical hike out up to the opposing ridge to a peak so we could be looking down on the canyon the buck was in. It was brutal hike up out of that canyon and my wife was none to pleased with my choice of route questioning why she even listens to me in the first place. Once on top we were sneaking up on the draw I had seen the buck. Sure enough he pokes his head out from behind a tree. I put the range finder on him at 260yds. I should have prefaced that I had imposed a 200yd limit to shots for my wife and anything beyond that I’d take. Looking back that was a dumb limit but that too is behind us isn’t it. I started to try and find a spot to shoot from and dropped my pack. I laid down into the prone position as the buck started to come out. It was then that I realized the grass was much taller than I had anticipated and could not rest my rifle on my pack. Instead I found myself stretching my arms out to just clear the grass to gain sight of the buck. Once the buck got clear of the bush I felt the wind shift and hit me in the back. A second later the bucks head snapped around and I figured the gig was up and I better start to put 3.5lbs on that rifle trigger. This is where I started to deposit copper back into the mountain questioning my ability to hit the broad side of a barn. When the dust cleared and an hour later after my wife and I were able to trace the bucks tracks from each of my shots to the next not a drop of blood was to be found. Which any of you that have done such it only makes for a long grueling, hot, and sorrowful hike out to the truck. Later that day another great buck busted out below us as we were taking a rest break before packing up from a glassing point and moving closer to the truck. Didn’t find much else that afternoon with the heat everything wanted to just sit tight in the shade till well after sun down. Sunday found us opting to go to another canyon to show my wife some new country. This was going to be a bit easier to get to and wasn’t going to involving much hiking. In fact I think from the jeep to our glassing seats it was 20yds. A hike my wife loved after to solid days of nasty hills and canyon crossings. From our little knob that we were perched on I was glassing up deer after deer after deer. It was a great morning. We had two bucks dropping down to get water out of tank we were near. Things really looked up until a quad pulled up behinds us and the two bucks busted out before they were close enough for a shot. I ended up leaving my 15x swaros in the trailer in hopes to help make up with my wife by not glassing up a buck in yonder mountains. Well that didn’t seem to work out in her favor as I glassed up another great 3x buck two ridges over with my 10x Leupolds. Whoops. I actually hesitated telling her that I found a buck but a buck was spotted so I opted to side on the fact maybe she’d be happy to know there are bucks out there to shoot. Needless to say she wasn’t impressed by my spotting ability. I opted to jump in the jeep and try to take off some travel time but by the time we got over to the draw some other guys on quads had made it there and shots were fired so I can only guess that they missed that buck or ran him off with whatever they were shooting at. Ok so that pretty much ended my wife’s hunt as we now had to head back to town to relieve the babysitters, Grandma and Grandpa. I was still miffed about my misses the other day and pondering if I go out or call it a hunt myself. I still needed to venture out and pick up the 5th wheel. My mind was made up with the learning of Aaron’s monster deer they took as inspiration to get out there and try to fill my tag. So the alarm was set for 3am., which is not fun at all and I’m a morning person. I found myself chugging burning hot Circle K coffee and stuffing down a strawberry poptart as I sped down the highway. I did a quick check on the trailer that everything was intact and then I was off to my parking spot in the pitch dark. It was the coolest morning of all the morning out which was nice for a change. This trip out I had my trusty headlamp, sure needed batteries, but it held for the hike in to my glassing spot well before sun up. I only spotted does for the fist few hours so I opted to jump over to the canyon that I ended up missing the buck in on Saturday. I found myself working down the ridge to the next draw beyond where I missed the buck. Just as I started to set my pack down under a shade tree I see a buck standing under a deer across the draw. I pulled up my Leupolds and see horns. I told myself the first buck I see I’m going after and if I miss, I’m going home. I pulled out my range finder and the buck read 199yds. I crept behind the trunk of the scrub oak I was under and laid down to get a solid rest. This time I took my time, calmed down and took a solid rest. BOOM. Buck didn’t move. Well lets just say that most of you already know my nickname “lucky”. I’m here to say that luck was in full swing as I quickly discovered that my gun was not sighted in as I sent copper over to the deer at well… warp speed. Having seen where my shots hit without the buck moving I could see where I should be holding. Sure enough as soon as I moved up and over… the last shot hit the buck and he bolted. I waited for 20min to give him time then packed up my stuff and hiked around to the spot where I hit him. I found blood. Then I realized that he bailed off one very nasty ridge into the depths of the canyon. Considering the angle it was pretty easy to follow him for multiple reasons. First it was the blood he had spewing all over the grass but easier to follow was the destruction he left as he slid all the way down the mountain disturbing the leaves and rocks along the way. I slid down that mountain right behind him leaving my own path of destruction as I went in pursuit. Once I was at the bottom the buck bolted out of the wash trying to make it up the hillside. A final shot rang out, and shooting a 7mm in the bottom of a tight canyon will have it ring out for hours in case you wanted to know. The buck was down for good. I will say that this was one of the mixed emotion times I’ve had standing over an animal I killed. I was elated to have filled my tag but quite saddened that my wife was not there to live the experience with me. I was frustrated that my prep work almost cost me filling my tag and thankful that the good Lord was watching out for me on this one. Luck had nothing to do with it. I took some photos then pulled the buck over to the nearest shade tree and began to process him for the pack out. A quick gutless method had the meat hanging in the tree to cool in the mid morning heat. After a short bite to eat, some water and let my socks air I loaded everything into my pack for the trek out. My pack weighed in around 65lbs without the 80oz of water I had it in when I started but for some reason I could barley tell it was there. 2.5 hours later and just shy of 3 miles with 4/5th of them being uphill out of that bowl I was at the truck. The A/C in the truck couldn’t have blown cold enough while I drove back to the trailer to get the meat on ice and hitch up for the long drive home. A stop off at the taxidermist and a quick gathering around the table as he measured my first ever 4 x 4 coues deer taped out at 97 4/8’s and ends up as my biggest buck to date. I still wish my wife could have been there to enjoy putting some closure to the hunt but having spent the three quick days with here we built up a life time of memories that we’ll get to share with our kids and others in the years to come. I can’t wait till next year!

Yes! IMO... I started using the mix on my last archery antelope hunt when I was hunting in 90deg temps and doing when building my garage during the summer. My recovery time to get up and hit it hard the next day was much better than any other items I've tried. That and the taste is great. My brother has been a personal trainer for over 15 years so I asked him his professional opinion of the mix. He's also a hunter that's had some early season deer hunts so he knows what I'm looking for to aid in getting out there each day and giving it my all. He gave the mix two big thumbs up for use on hunting trips in the heat or not. If you hike hard each day one of these a day at minimum sure aids keeping your internal furnace running on high. I now use the stuff anytime I end up exerting some serious toll on my body in the heat or not. I can't say I use get a lot of cramps but having started to use the mix I have never had a cramp nor do I feel near the dehydrated feeling like I use to no matter how much water I'd pound down during and after a days hunt. I will add that the mix alone is not the answer. You need to eat right all hunt long. Drop the beer, add in proper energy bars, snacks and meals... oh and tons of water. Once I switched up my diet on my hunts a 7 day coues hunt, a 9 day elk hunt or 5 day pack in bear hunt isn't near the toll as two days of deer when I was 15 years younger and in better shape. cmc

Just proof they'll let anyone in this joint!!! :D Bobby - thanks for supporting a great site and all the work you do with the G&F and SCI. cmc

I've done several solo trips overnight down south, now that I think about it. Nervous? Sure, but like the other say, get off of trails on rocky hillsides up out of washes where it's work to just get to camp and you'll be fine. Although I'll say this.... that type of terrain in southern AZ is where you'll find a lot of bear scat. I'm more afraid of them once it gets dark then any of the human passer-by'rs. I also make sure that my pistol is along on those trips even though I hate the extra weight.

I've made the mistake of shooting with Jesse, Jon Shepley, and Tracy Hardy at a Desert Archers 3d a many years back.... Very humbling experience. Very! Tracy started to make up his own rules on shots towards the end. I kept having to remind him I didn't have a 110yd pin. No joke - man those guys can shoot. A year or two ago Jesse, Jon and I were shooting at the black bear for a buck a shot - 107yd but you couldn't range him till afterwords and the closest to the dot wins. I was lucky just hit foam once with a few misses. Jesse and Jon both had 3" groups but with the wind they were having a hard time getting on top of the dot next to within half inch but not on top of. Oh I believe Jesse won the pot that day.

The archery shops I know of and in no particular order.... K&L Archery located at Lipperts Taxidermy. PSE Pro Shop Saguaro Bait, Tackle & Archery Chapman Archery Robinson Archery Sportsman's Warehouse cmc

I have used the Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite on several pack in hunts with no issues. Word of advise is get one that will cover you from head to toe so your legs won't be cold. http://www.rei.com/product/781089 I do have a Insulmat inflatable mat too but I only use that when close to truck trips (like bed of truck close) in case it gets punctured I won't be sleeping on the cold ground.

Awesome job.... talk about a dream hunt! Congrats and enjoy the success.

It's up on the Boone & Crockett trophy watch http://www.boone-crockett.org/NEWS/imagesWatch/freaky03.JPG Colorado Non-typical October 12, 2009 This pronghorn was found in northeastern Colorado by Van Franke. Truly one of nature's rare oddities. There isn't a B&C records category for non-typical pronghorn - still a trophy none the less.

Awesome bull Steve.... Congrats. Great story, great photos and thanks for sharing. cmc

I'm clearing out my work shop of items that have not gotten any use in the past few years. I have two Dillon Square Deal progressive presses and duplicate of just about everything needed for reloading 45acp pistol rounds. I keep one setup for 45acp and one setup for .40. I haven't shot IDPA since my 3yr old son was born and I haven't pulled the handle on either of the presses for 2 years as my free time isn't there for it anymore. I'm going to keep one of the setups and sell one. I also want to keep this as a kit. The base unit goes $345 at Dillon's without the options I have listed and they hold their value very well with Dillon's no questions bought used or new warranty. I bought both my sets used and took them to the plant for a look-over and they tested and replaced any worn parts for FREE. They don't care if you bought them used, they warranty it for life, for free. $400 for everything listed below. Well over $500 if you bought it new. Dillon Square Deal Setup with 45acp dies. Low primer warning (a must have) Strong mount for bench top mounting primer tubes (3 different sizes) & (not pictured) Primer flip tray (not pictured) Dillon power scale PM or email me at yardsale@cmccotter.org (I have some .38/.357 dies that I need to locate and if I do I will put them up for sale. The person that buys the press gets first dibs at a discounted rate - if I find them. They are in the workshop some where. )

Thanks for the post Brian.... and welcome. cmc

Nice bull all around. Great length, mass, and symmetry. Congrats to the hunter for a bull of a lifetime. One question.... You Mullins guys get a group discount on mtn. shadow vests?

Most of the surveys are not straight line flights. They usually fly a pre-determined area within a unit. I've seen several GPS tracks of some flights and the only straight line is to and from the zone but once in it it looks like a drawing by my 2 year old with a crayon. Toss in on the ground surveys & then browse surveys - this includes taking browse samples back for study in a lab from a controlled area and a free range area and comparing impact of wildlife on the browse. These are just the tip of what's being put into calculating out hunt recommendations. From the guys I know that spend time in the chopper and on the ground it's as detailed as they can be while looking for a wild critter in the woods - Not some random fly by by any means. I also recommend Jim Heffelfingers book for a read. The RMEF has been assisting with funding additional flights to aid in getting better survey numbers. Flights are not cheap, nor is WM's labor in the field on ground surveys. If we want try to achieve a better estimation of numbers then we need to fund additional and/or alternate methods of performing them.

The 100th episode bits were great.... "Launch's" section was a riot!!! Still need to get caught up with part three and then onto the Easton Arrow one. Love the shows - I download them and listen to them on the drive to work on my MP3 player.

Actually it was a used one I bought off a CWT member. It's a stealth cam, older version, but does the job just fine for me. cmc

Picked up my trail cam last night. Found boo boo messed with it but I was able to get some better photos of him/her this time than last.